


of the first water

by jailor



Series: Dogcopter Dream Diary [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Communication Failure, Gen, Little Homeworld, Post-Canon, Pride, Self-Discovery, Self-Worth Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25602658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jailor/pseuds/jailor
Summary: Jasper doesn’t give up! Jasper keeps going!
Series: Dogcopter Dream Diary [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774822
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	of the first water

“Hey, Jasper!”

Jasper cracked open an eye. Biggs Jasper, beloved by all, stood before her spot on a bench outside Beach City’s southshoreside businesses. Biggs’ physical form was characterized by rust-red waves. She almost always smiled. She was smiling at Jasper now. Someone had littered an oily napkin on the sidewalk in the time since Jasper’s nap began. It was flapping around Biggs Jasper’s heel.

Jasper tilted her chin.

“Just checking in,” Biggs said. “That was one nasty crack.”

Ugh. Yesterday. “It’s fixed,” said Jasper. Gravel scraped at her heels as she straightened on her bench. She could smell the Big Donut behind them.

“Glad to see it. Hey, wanna play? We’re just about to put up a net.”

These Little Homegems. Always with the questions. It was why Jasper minded her own business. That and other reasons. Existing in Steven’s Homeworld was her only job and an exhausting exercise in never knowing how things were supposed to be. Yesterday a stray volleyball had cracked Jasper’s gem against the curb, and today they wanted to put her in the game itself.

Jasper stood. She didn’t respond in time.

“Jasper’s joining the game?” It was Angel Aura Quartz, a blue quartz with corruption-marked horns, like Jasper. 

Not exactly like Jasper; Angel Aura’s pair was symmetrical and of even color. Close behind came Zebra Jasper, another batchmate banded like Jasper and Biggs. She approached from the direction Biggs had. 

“Hope so,” said Biggs. “You in?”

“No. I’m leaving,” Jasper said, or intended to. She found herself frowning at the three of them instead. Biggs reiterated her request nonverbally: a tip of the head. Jasper frowned more deeply. Her teeth ground against one another. 

“Bet she has a killer arm. How’s your gem?” Angel Aura said.

Jasper dragged out an answer. “In one piece.”

“Come on,” said Zebra Jasper. “Let’s lend Pearl and Snowflake a hand. Jasper, come with us, if you want.”

Biggs urged Jasper into their group with an open pat on the arm. Jasper was surrounded by the other quartzes. She complied. She set her shoulders and advanced on the beach volleyball arena alongside Biggs. Players gathered, approaching in batches of three and four like theirs. 

Jasper was no stranger to the Little Homeworld amateur volleyball team. She routinely sat in the same spot along the Beach City boardwalk in the afternoons, watching sand and ocean roll in and out. The Crystal Gems and their neighbors were always doing things in front of her. Like volleyball. Biggs greeted Jasper when their paths crossed. Everyone else had learned to leave her alone. On a few other occasions Biggs had tried to tell Jasper to join in. Jasper didn’t like to waste her time answering pointless comments. Otherwise, beachgoers passed her by, and Jasper properly ignored them. She didn’t stare at volleyball or anything else. She watched the water, not them.

“Jasper?” Steven’s Pearl said from atop her hideous throne of stilts. The whistle dangling at her collar threw streaks of light in Jasper’s face. “You’re playing?”

“Finally, right?” said Biggs, nudging Jasper. “Been asking since forever!”

“Yes,” Jasper said to Pearl.

“Okay,” Pearl said. “You‘re familiar with the rules?”

“Of course.” She’d observed hours of these mock battles. She knew how to behave.

“Perfect! Let’s all play nice and have fun.” Pearl whistled to gather the mingling ball troops. Her players fell in line. Two more people offered a remark about Jasper’s gem, even though it was right on the front of her face and obviously no longer cracked. Biggs pointed Jasper into an empty position. Jasper occupied it. She’d seen these formations before from the bench. She knew where to stand. The sand slipped and stifled her foothold, but she’d tread this shore enough times in the past. She waited in her place, stiff like driftwood, hands up, eye on the ball.

In the end, though she’d been strong armed into joining Biggs’ alliance, Jasper hardly participated. The others didn’t pay her much mind. Exactly once, Biggs deliberately sent the ball in Jasper’s direction. Jasper knocked it over the net, and it was returned by Snowflake Obsidian. Biggs’ team deflected, scoring a point. 

After the match, Biggs wished Jasper farewell. Pearl suggested she return another day. They prepared to leave to their next destinations. Jasper had none. On any other day she would have moved from the bench to her next position before the game ended. On any other day, she wouldn’t already be moving again now. She trailed Biggs through clean-up and tolerated Pearl’s presence for as long as she could bear the sound of their conversation.

“Want a lift?” Pearl said.

“Sure, thanks,” said Biggs.

“Jasper?”

Jasper looked to Biggs and Pearl. Their other gamers had vanished.

“You’re going back to Little Homeworld?” Biggs asked.

Jasper nodded.

“Let’s be off,” Pearl said. “I’m parked behind Fish Stew Pizza.”

Jasper followed. Steven’s van waited for them in the backlot beneath a faded illustration of a beast. Biggs and Pearl sat in front. Jasper picked out a place on the mattress behind Biggs’ seat, trying not to crush any flimsy human plastics in her path.

She stared out the window over Biggs’ elbow. They passed the back of the fry shop, then the arcade. She saw humans and gems on the sidewalk. Amethyst was behind the arcade building, talking to someone Jasper didn’t recognize. A fusion. Pearl turned at the corner without signaling. Beach City’s water tower loomed before them. They lurched up the highway. Pearl and Biggs made small talk in front. Biggs tried to talk small at Jasper, as well. Jasper had no response, so Biggs gave up on her without a fight. Jasper watched the grass go by on the side of the road. Her gaze drifted and snapped with rapid movement. Everywhere, grass. She could feel it by looking.

Little Homeworld’s windmill emerged overhead, and then the plateau of the settlement itself. Pearl pulled in. The van bounced on gravel. She exchanged a wave with every pedestrian in their way. Jasper glanced around the back of the van. Her cohort consisted of several empty human beverage bottles, a crate of multicolored bricks, and a folded-up blue tarpaulin. They stopped moving. Jasper looked up to find Pearl watching her from the rearview mirror.

“Thank you,” Biggs said as she exited her seat. She let Jasper climb out. Jasper ducked as deeply as she could to distance the frame and her horns.

Jasper nodded at Pearl, too. Pearl said, “You’re welcome,” and waved good-bye. Biggs left in one direction, Pearl another. Jasper eyed the edge of her apartment building. She wandered down the street instead. She paused at the notice board. The board was useless to her, but reading it was one of many useless habits filling the void of Jasper’s life. It took time. Not much. Club proposals, community theater auditions, a call for Homeschool instructors, a missed connection, Amethyst’s GHEM garbage. No new calls for Little Community Project work. Nothing important. 

Pinned next to one of Amethyst’s hideous illustrated flyers, trying to escape on the wind, was a scrap of paper. It looked to have been torn out of someone’s miniature notebook, spiral-bound edge reduced to tattered and torn holes. The paper had been written on in blue pen. It was stuck to the board by a clear pin thrust through the top-left corner. Jasper squinted at it.

> First Poem - Homework
> 
> I have to write a poem today.
> 
> We read poetry in my geminar. Part of a unit on writing morp. Analysis: A poem is a series of personal observations separated by line breaks
> 
> This is my HW. Construct a poem overnight
> 
> HW = Homework = Homeschool work
> 
> Work done to reinforce school knowledge
> 
> Last era my work was different
> 
> This era needs clearer guidelines. Nonsense everywhere.
> 
> I have nothing better to do
> 
> Above are my observations. I have completed the HW. This is a poem.

“Jasper!”

Jasper grimaced at the familiar pitter-patter of Peridot 5XG’s approach. She turned to go. The other gem interrupted her, pointed visor askew.

“I need backup! There’s a monster at Rose’s fountain!”

Jasper crossed her arms. “A monster?”

“Based on the image Nanefua sent, it looks like a Steven bush fused with a corrupted gem somehow,” Peridot said. She was tapping at a handheld electronic device. She showed Jasper the image. Jasper leaned down to look.

Of course. The strong cactus they’d encountered. “That’s Steven’s plant,” Jasper said. “I spoke to it yesterday.”

“Perfect!” Peridot grabbed at Jasper’s uniform and tugged. She was so weak that Jasper didn’t budge. “Come on,” she said.

“What?”

“You said you talked to it, right?”

“I did-”

“Then you‘re qualified to help me talk to it, too! Come on!”

“Ugh.” But her reasoning was sound. Jasper followed.

Peridot received another message when they reached the warp. She stuck it out at Jasper. Jasper was struck by disturbing déjà vu. “That’s it, right?”

Jasper got onto the warp pad. “Yes.”

“You didn’t look.”

“That’s it,” Jasper reiterated for her.

A ruby was waiting by the warp pad with the mayor, one foot hanging on by a thread.

“There you are,” Mayor Nanefua said.

“Wow!” Peridot said, eyeing the fissure in the ruby’s gem. “Good thing you called us. What happened?”

“Cracked in the line of duty,” the ruby said. “Ain’t that the way, huh, Jasper?”

Jasper didn’t know this gem. She didn’t stop to make conversation. She made for the sloping grey stone of the fountain. She heard Peridot making excuses for her behind her back. 

“That’s why I messaged the group chat before getting any closer,” the mayor explained to Peridot. “The giant cactus has been very rude.”

The giant cactus was waiting just inside the fountain wall’s star-shaped egress. It stormed in Jasper’s direction when it caught sight of her, as though to chase her off. Jasper planted her feet at the entrance and drew herself up to her full perfect height.

“Cactus Steven,” she said. “Cut it out.”

She’d braced for a fight. The needles hurt, but the plant warrior would find today’s Jasper a more formidable opponent than the pathetic show she’d put up while cracked the day before.

Cactus Steven responded verbally, contradicting her expectations. 

“ _HEY GUYS._ ”

Jasper didn’t twitch.

“Hi!” said Peridot, who’d caught up in time for Cactus Steven’s greeting. She stepped in front of Jasper. “Wow, you’re huge!”

“ _REALLY SPROUTED UP OVERNIGHT!_ ” Cactus Steven said.

“Nice to meet you,” Peridot replied, offering her hand. Cactus Steven shook it with one of his. “Ouch. Spines, eh? They’re actually a type of leaf,” Peridot whispered to Jasper.

“Hhgh,” Jasper exhaled. “I don’t care.”

“So we’re here for the fountain,” Peridot said to Cactus Steven. “Can my friend use it?”

“ _THE FOUNTAIN?_ ” Cactus Steven said.

“Yeah!”

“ _THERE’S THE FOUNTAIN._ ”

“One more thing,” Peridot said. “Gems need 24/7 access. Are you gonna be ‘cool’ about that?”

She performed “air quotes”. Jasper was ready to leave.

The question re-agitated Cactus Steven. “ _NEED TO BE ALONE,_ ” he said. He stomped one foot.

He said the same yesterday. Jasper remembered.

“That won’t happen,” Peridot said. “The fountain belongs to everyone. But I can find you somewhere else to be alone! Ever been to Little Homeworld?”

This Jasper remembered too. She flanked Peridot as Cactus Steven tossed his several heads in frustration.

“ _CAN’T GO TO LITTLE HOMEWORLD,_ ” Cactus Steven said.

“Why not?”

“ _THE GEMS DON’T NEED ME._ ”

“That’s fine,” Peridot said. She picked a spine from her palm. “We’d love to have you anyway!”

“ _I CAN’T LET THEM HEAR THIS,_ ” Cactus Steven said.

“You might need someone to talk to,” Peridot suggested. “May I recommend a volunteer Little Counselor?”

“ _I COULD TALK TO YOU!_ ”

“Sure!” Peridot said. “Wow, that was easy. I love talking to plants. You have a big vocabulary for a cactus.”

The tension slowly leaked from Jasper’s form as Peridot and Cactus Steven’s discussion dragged on. Nanefua and Ruby approached without fear, healed Ruby’s gem in the water, and left. 

Cactus Steven and Peridot decided to return to Little Homeschool for the time being. People could use the fountain without surprising Cactus Steven, and Peridot was happy to act as sounding board for Cactus Steven’s next steps. Once again, Jasper had come expecting a fight and been forced to bear audience to unbearable conversation instead. Jasper left the fountain with them.

“ _THANKS A LOT,_ ” snarled Cactus Steven.

“No problem!” Peridot told him. 

“ _THANKS A LOT,_ ” he said again, prodding Jasper’s shoulder with a finger. It stung.

“Fine,” said Jasper.

“Thanks, Jasper!”

Jasper grimaced. The warp flashed and carried them to their destination. 

Back in Little Homeschool, Peridot hopped off the warp where Cactus Steven waited and gave her a thumbs up.

“Nice job together, us. It’s been so long! Earth long,” said Peridot.

“Whatever,” said Jasper. All time on Earth was long. Today they’d accomplished the goal they set out on. It was completely different. But she wasn’t going to waste time on that. That was from another era.

“And this time we even accomplished our goal!” Peridot said. “We should catch up soon.”

“Ugh. Why would I do that?”

“C’mon, Jasper!” Peridot snickered. ”Let’s talk ‘old days’. I’ll pencil you in.” 

Jasper rolled her eyes.

Peridot and Cactus Steven claimed a spot under the trees to chat. She left them there, task complete. Jasper caught sight of them again from her view. She lived on the second floor. Steven’s court had seen fit to house her there. She lived among their disorganized collection; the gems next door were of unpredictable class, cut and hue. Nearly every day, she returned to spend the night here. Not unlike the cave she’d claimed. That’s how it was done in Little Homeworld. Sitting in her window, Jasper could observe a narrow portion of the settlement she lived in. She could see organic life and gems. A Ruby and Sapphire - the fusion, not fused tonight - tripped one another down the path, hand-in-hand, exchanging profane whispers. Jasper’s lip curled. She glanced the other way. The pink Pearl was hurrying home, arms full of schoolwork, footsteps punching the dirt of the walkway. A common bird startled and flew out of her path.

It landed, then leapt into the air again. Jasper watched the thing go. She ignored the gems and the cactus and everything else and stared up at the stars instead.


End file.
